Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a decoding key encoded with specific information to decode encrypted information of a record medium

ABSTRACT

A data recording apparatus capable of preventing easily copying of information is disclosed with which, even if information is copied, the copied information cannot be reproduced, the data recording apparatus having a terminal to which encoder ID specific for the data recording apparatus is input, a recording unit for recording at least the encoder ID on an optical disk, and an encoding circuit for, in accordance with the encoder ID, encoding data supplied through a terminal and required to be recorded so that encoded data is, together with the encoder ID, recorded on the optical disk.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/789,405 filed Feb. 20, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,987, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/904,924 filed Aug.1, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,745, which is a continuation of08/671,347 filed Jun. 27, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,201.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a data recording apparatus forrecording data on a record (recording, recordable or recorded) medium, amethod therefor, a data reproducing apparatus for reproducing datarecorded on a record medium, a method therefor and a record medium onwhich data has been recorded. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to an information providing/collecting apparatus for providingand collecting so-called multimedia information, such as videoinformation and music information, or program information and a methodtherefor.

2. Related Background Art

As a data record medium on which information signals, such as Audiodata, video data and various data items, are recorded, means foroptically recording information signals, specifically, a so-calledcompact disk (CD) for use in the music field and a CD-ROM which meetsthe CD standard and which is used for data have been used all over theworld in recent years.

Hitherto, information providing service has been realized as a so-calleddata base system and a personal computer communication system in each ofwhich a user terminal (a terminal of an information collecting side) andan information provider are connected to each other through, forexample, the telephone line to enable information required by the userto be taken out. Another information providing service has been realizedwith which a large-capacity medium, such as a so-called CD-ROM havingencoded information recorded thereon is distributed and key informationfor decoding encoded information is transmitted to the user by, forexample, communication so that encoded information recorded on theCD-ROM is decoded and decoded information is copied on a hard disk orthe like so as to be used.

Moreover, a technique has been disclosed in Japanese Patent PublicationNo. 2-60007 in which a password formed by encoding a file key by using acode key is supplied to a computer; and a program written on the recordmedium is decoded by a coding mechanism to prevent copying and sharingof the software program.

Hitherto, all of information items recorded on the foregoing CD or theCD-ROM are read by a reproducing apparatus and copied onto, for example,a hard disk. Then, data copied onto the hard disk is supplied to anencoder system for the CD or the CD-ROM to newly make a CD or a CD-ROMso that a pirate edition is easily manufactured. As described above, thesecurity function, such as the copy protection, has been unsatisfactory.

The foregoing problem is also critical for a so-called digital videodisk (DVD), which is expected to be a data record medium for a nextgeneration.

On the other hand, in the conventional information providing service, amethod has been employed in which key information for decoding istransmitted to a user in such a manner that key information istransmitted by means of voice through a telephone line. Thus, keyinformation has not been encoded particularly. However, the foregoingmethod has a risk in view of keeping security.

In the case where communication is employed to transmit key information,one-to-one connection is usually established. Therefore, there issubstantially no risk of key information being stolen. However, in thecase where key information is transmitted through a network, therearises a problem in protecting key information.

Therefore, in an information providing system, in which mediums, on eachof which encoded information has been recorded in a large quantity, aredistributed by the information provider; and only in a case where a userrequires information to obtain from the medium, key information fordecoding the code is supplied and accounting is performed, the problemin view of security when key information is transmitted results in arisk to arise in that key information can be obtained by a person exceptthe subject user. In the foregoing case, the information providingsystem cannot be held. If whether or not the user is a formal usercannot be specified, there is a risk that account is put down to anotherperson. Also in the foregoing case, the information providing systemcannot be held.

Thus, security improvement in transmitting key information from aninformation provider to a user and reliable specification of a user areimportant requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is toprovide a data recording apparatus, a method therefor, a datareproducing apparatus, a method therefor and a record (recording,recordable or recorded) medium with which easy copying can be preventedand reproduction of copied data can be inhibited.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an informationproviding/collecting apparatus and method therefor capable of improvingsecurity in transmitting key information from an information provider toa user and reliably specifying a user.

The data recording apparatus and method according to the presentinvention are data recording apparatus and method of recording data on arecord medium such that specific identification information is suppliedto record at least the identification information so that the foregoingproblems are solved. The identification information is exemplified byidentification information specific to the data recording apparatus.

The record medium according to the present invention is a record mediumon which data is recorded by the data recording apparatus such that atleast identification information specific to the data recordingapparatus is recorded so that the foregoing problems are solved.

The data reproducing apparatus and method according to the presentinvention are data reproducing apparatus and method of reproducing datafrom a record medium, on which at least identification informationspecific to the data recording apparatus is recorded together withrecorded data. Data is read from the record medium, the identificationinformation is extracted from data read from the record medium, andreproduction of data from the record medium is interrupted ifidentification information cannot be extracted. Thus, the foregoingproblems can be solved.

The data reproducing apparatus and method according to the presentinvention are data reproducing apparatus and method for reproducing datafrom a record medium, on which at least identification informationspecific to the data recording apparatus is recorded together withrecorded data. Data is read from the record medium, the identificationinformation is extracted from data read from the record medium, andrecorded data, which has been encoded in accordance with theidentification information, is decoded in accordance with the extractedidentification information so that the foregoing problems are solved.

As a result of the foregoing structure, identification informationspecific to the data recording apparatus is recorded on the recordmedium so that confirmation of identification information enables theprocess hysteresis of the record medium to be detected. Ifidentification information does not exist, reproduction of data from therecord medium is interrupted. Thus, copying of data from the recordmedium can be prevented.

The information providing/collecting apparatus and method according tothe present invention have the structure such that an information mediumhaving information encoded on an information collection side isdistributed from an information providing side; the informationproviding side and the information collection side are connected to eachother through information transmission means; information is transmittedand received between the information providing side and the informationcollection side through the information transmission means; theinformation providing side uses at least one specific information of theinformation collection side to encode key information required to decodeencoded information of the information medium; the informationcollection side uses encoded key information transmitted from theinformation providing side to decode the key information; and theinformation collection side uses encoded information read from theinformation medium to decode the encoded information by using thedecoded key information. Thus, the foregoing problems can be solved.

When information is read from the record medium having encodedinformation, key information for decoding the code is required in thepresent invention. Key information is possessed by the informationproviding side, and the information collecting side requires supply ofkey information. At this time, the information collecting side whichreceives key information transmits specific information for specifyingthe information collecting side to the information providing side. Theinformation providing side specifies the information collecting side inaccordance with the specific information and performs an accountingprocess. Simultaneously, specific information is used to encode keyinformation for decoding the code so as to be transmitted. Thus, thesecurity performance in transmitting key information is intended to beimproved. The information collecting side decodes the received andencoded key information in accordance with the specific information totake out key information for decoding information. By using keyinformation, encoded information of the record medium is decoded.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be evidentfrom the following detailed description of the preferred embodimentsdescribed in conjunction with the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic structure of a datarecording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the basic structure of a datareproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 shows the basic structure of an optical disk according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the specific structure of a datareproducing apparatus for reproducing optical disk according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operation for reproducing data from theoptical disk according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the structure of aninformation providing system according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the structure of aninformation providing apparatus of the information providing system;

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram showing an example of the structure of auser terminal of the information providing system;

FIG. 9 is a view of explanatory of the operation in the informationproviding system and information to be transmitted;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a process to be performed until encodedinformation is transmitted from the user terminal to the informationproviding apparatus;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a process to be performed until encodeddecoding key information is transmitted from the information providingapparatus to the user terminal; and

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a process to be performed by the userterminal until encoded information of an information storage medium isdecoded by using encoded decoding key information supplied from theinformation providing apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a data recording apparatus for embodying a datarecording method according to the present invention has a basicstructure including a terminal 2, to which identification information(hereinafter called an “encoder ID”) specific for the data recordingapparatus is supplied, and a recording means 5 for recording at leastthe encoder ID on an optical disk D.

The data recording apparatus according to this embodiment furtherincludes an encoding circuit 3 for, in accordance with the encoder ID,encoding data supplied through a terminal 1 and required to be recordedso as to, on the optical disk D, record data (hereinafter called“encoded data”), encoded by the encoding circuit 3, together with theencoder ID.

The encoder ID can be recorded on a predetermined region of the opticaldisk D, for example, a TOC (table of contents) area, a header region orthe like. As an alternative to this, a mixing circuit 4 may be disposed,for example, in front of a recording UNIT 5 of the data recordingapparatus according to this embodiment to mix the encoder ID in a datarow of encoded data in the mixing circuit 4 to record the encoder ID ona data recording region of the optical disk D in which the encoded datamust be recorded. As a matter of course, if data, to be recorded, is notencoded, the encoder ID may be, in the mixing circuit 4, mixed with thedata row of data to be recorded so as to be recorded on the optical diskD.

By recording the encoder ID on the optical disk D as described above,the hysteresis of the data recording apparatus can be left in theoptical disk D. That is, if the specific hysteresis of the datarecording apparatus can be left, confirmation of the encoder ID of adisk processed unlawfully enables an apparatus which has processed thedisk to be detected. If a fact that the hysteresis can be detected isinformed widely, an intention of copying a disk is refrained so thatunlawful copying is previously prevented.

On the other hand, a data reproducing apparatus, to which the datareproducing method according to the present invention is applied,reproduces data from the optical disk D, on which at least the encoderID is, together with data, recorded by the data recording apparatusaccording to the present invention. The data reproducing apparatusincludes a data reading UNIT 6 for reading data from the optical disk D;and a separation circuit 7 for extracting the encoder ID from data readfrom the optical disk D.

However, in the case where the encoder ID has been recorded on theforegoing predetermined region of the optical disk D, the data readingUNIT 6 acts as means for extracting the encoder ID such that the datareading UNIT 6 reads the encoder ID from the foregoing predeterminedregion individually from recorded data. Therefore, the separationcircuit 7 is not required in the foregoing case. In the case where theencoder ID is mixed with the data row of recorded data, the data readingmeans 6 reads both recorded data and the encoder ID from the data regionof the optical disk D. Therefore, in the foregoing case, the separationcircuit 7 extracts the encoder ID from the data row of recorded data.

The recorded data and encoder ID are transferred to a decoding circuit8. When the encoder ID has been supplied, recorded data is, asreproduced data, transmitted from a terminal 9 of the decoding circuit8. When the encoder ID has not been supplied (when the encoder ID hasnot been certified), reproduction (decoding) of recorded data isinterrupted.

If data recorded on the optical disk D together with the encoder ID isencoded data, encoded data read from the optical disk D is decoded inaccordance with the encoder ID read from the optical disk D. That is,the foregoing fact means that even if only recorded data can be copied,encoded data cannot be decoded. The thus-decoded data is taken out asreproduced data from the terminal 9.

As described above, with the data reproducing apparatus according tothis embodiment, even if recorded data can be copied, certification ofthe encoder ID is required to obtain reproduced data. Thus, the securitycan be improved.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical disk D has a centralopening 102 in the central portion thereof. Moreover, in a directionfrom the inner portion of the optical disk D toward the outer peripheryof the same, there are formed a lead-in region 103 for use as a TOC(table of contents) serving as a program control region; a data region104 on which data is recorded; and a so-called lead-out region 105serving as a data end region. In the case where the encoder ID isrecorded on a predetermined region different from the region in whichdata is recorded, the encoder ID is recorded on a region, for example,the lead-in region 103, except the data region 104.

The data recording apparatus according to this embodiment may be, forexample, an encoder for adding an error correction code to audio data,video data or a program data and modulating the same, a formatter, aso-called cutting apparatus, a mastering apparatus or a stampingapparatus. The foregoing encoder ID is identification informationspecific for the foregoing apparatus. In a case where the optical disk Dis a magneto-optic (MO) disk or a recordable CD (a so-called CD-R), theencoder ID serves as identification information specific for theapparatus for reproducing the foregoing disk.

Then, the schematic structure of the data reproducing apparatus forreproducing the foregoing optical disk D will now be described withreference to FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, description will be performedabout an operation to be performed in a case where data to be recordedhas been encoded in accordance with the encoder ID and the encoder IDhas been recorded while being mixed with a data row of encoded data.

Referring to FIG. 4, an optical pickup 17 converges laser beams onto theoptical disk D and receives reflected laser beams so as to read a datasignal recorded on the optical disk D and supply the data signal to adecoding circuit 15. The optical pickup 17 supplies a focus servo errorsignal and a tracking error signal produced on the basis of reflectedlaser beams to a servo circuit 14.

The servo circuit 14 produces a focus servo signal and a tracking servosignal corresponding to the focus servo error signal and the trackingerror signal under control of a controller CPU 10 to supply the signalsto the optical pickup 17. The servo circuit 14 as well as transmits arotation servo signal of the optical disk D so that rotations of a motor18 are controlled in accordance with the rotation servo signal.

On the other hand, the decoding circuit 15 performs operations ofdemodulating and correcting an error of the data signal supplied fromthe optical pickup 17.

The data items read from the data recording region 104 of the opticaldisk D and decoded by the decoding circuit 15 are, in sector units,initially supplied to an encoder ID extracting circuit 19. The encoderID extracting circuit 19 extracts data of the encoder ID from data itemsin sector units. Extracted data of the encoder ID is stored in a workingRAM 12 which is controlled by a controller CPU 10.

The controller CPU 10 uses data of the encoder ID stored in the workingRAM 12 to decode a portion of encoded data left from extraction of dataof the encoder ID. Note that program data, which is used by thecontroller CPU 10, is stored in a program ROM 13.

The thus-decoded reproduced data is, through an interface circuit 16,transmitted to the outside from an output terminal 11.

The flow of the operation to be performed by the data reproducingapparatus shown in FIG. 4 is as shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, when an operation of reading the optical disk D hasbeen commenced in step S1, data is read from the optical disk D fromeach sector.

In step S3 data of the encoder ID is extracted from data for each sectorby the encoder ID extracting circuit 19.

In step S4 encoded data left from extraction of data of the encoder IDis read. In step S5 the controller CPU 10 decodes encoded data inaccordance with the encoder ID.

In step S6 decoded data is, as reproduced data, supplied to theinterface circuit 16.

In step S7 whether or not reproduction of the optical disk D has beencompleted is determined. If the reproduction has not been completed, theoperation returns to step S1 so that the foregoing process is performed.If the reproduction has been completed, the process is ended here.

An information providing and/or collecting method according to thepresent invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

As the information providing/collecting apparatus to which theinformation providing/collecting method according to the presentinvention is applied, that is, as the information providing system, anassumption is performed that a user terminal 400 for collectinginformation and an information providing apparatus 200 for providinginformation are connected to each other through a communication network300, such as a telephone line or a local area network (LAN) serving asinformation transmitting means.

The information providing apparatus 200 of the information providingsystem, as shown in FIG. 7, includes an information storage apparatus201 for storing information to be transmitted to the user side and keyinformation for encoding information to be transmitted; an informationstorage apparatus 202 for storing accounting information for each user,and information of telephone numbers of the users and specific numbersof the users; an encoding circuit 203 for encoding information to betransmitted in accordance with key information; a converter 204 forconverting information to be transmitted in such a manner that theinformation can be transmitted; a communication line interface portion206 for transmitting information to the communication network(communication line) 300; a ROM 209 for storing a program forcontrolling the information providing apparatus 200 and informationabout the structure of the system; a CPU 207 for executing the foregoingcontrol program; a RAM 208 for storing temporary operation information;and a system bus 210 for the CPU 207 consisting of a data bus, anaddress bus, a control bus and the like.

The user terminal 400, as shown in FIG. 8, has a structure including aRAM 411 for temporarily storing information; an information storageapparatus 412, such as a hard disk or a magneto-optical disk, capable ofstoring, at least information; a display circuit 413 for producing adisplay signal for displaying information read from the informationstorage apparatus 412; a display apparatus 414 for performing display inaccordance with the display signal supplied from the display circuit413; an operation unit 415, such as a keyboard or a mouse, for operatingthe user terminal 400: a decoding circuit 416 for decoding encodedinformation supplied from the information providing apparatus 200; aninformation medium reading unit 417 for reading an information record(redording, recordable or recorded) medium distributed from aninformation provider; a ROM 418 for storing identification (ID) numberinformation specific to the information medium reading unit 417; a ROM420 for storing a program for controlling the user terminal 400 andinformation about the structure of the user terminal 400; a CPU 419 forexecuting the control program; a communication line interface portion421 for transmitting information to the communication network(communication line) 300; and a system bus 422 for the CPU 419consisting of a data bus, an address bus, a control bus and the like.

Description will now be described about the operation of the informationproviding system consisting of the information providing apparatus 200,the communication network 300 and the user terminal 400 in a case wherethe communication network (communication line) 300 between the user sideand the information provider side is a so-called ISDN (IntegratedService Digital Network) line.

Initially, the user obtains a large-capacity information storage medium301 distributed gratuitously or onerously from the information provider.Note that the information storage medium 301 is a large-capacityinformation storage media, such as a CD-ROM, which is an optical recordmedium, the information storage medium 301 having encoded information ina large quantity recorded thereon. The information storage medium 301may be a recordable medium, such as a write-once medium or amagneto-optical disk. The ROM 418 of the user terminal. 400 hasidentification number (hereinafter called a “reading apparatus ID”)specific to the information medium reading unit 417 recorded thereon.The information storage medium 301 stores ID (hereinafter called “mediumID”) for identifying the medium and ID (hereinafter called “informationID”) for identifying each of information items. The user has personal ID(hereinafter called “user ID”) and a password.

A process for the user to read desired information from the informationstorage medium 301 to be performed under the foregoing conditions willnow be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

Portion A of FIG. 9 has, recorded thereon, information to be transmittedfrom the user terminal 400 to the information providing apparatus 200.That is, information to be transmitted from the user terminal 400 isnumber information specific for the user, the number informationconsisting of, for example, telephone number, user ID, password, readingapparatus ID, medium ID required to specify information and informationID. The telephone number is telephone number of the user, the telephonenumber (the telephone number of the calling station) being, in the ISDN,automatically transmitted from the calling station to the calledstation.

Referring to FIG. 10, the operation of the user terminal 400 will now bedescribed.

Referring to FIG. 10, the CPU 419 of the user terminal 400, in stepS501, determines whether or not the information storage medium 301 hasbeen set to the information medium reading unit 417 of the user terminal400. If a determination has been performed in step S501 that theinformation storage medium 301 has not been set, the determination instep S501 is repeated. If a determination has been performed that theinformation storage medium 301 has been set, the operation proceeds tostep S502. The information medium reading unit 417 for reading theinformation storage medium 301 has a structure such that the informationstorage medium 301 is detachable with respect to the information mediumreading unit 417.

Then, the user operates the operation unit 415 of the user terminal 400so as to perform an operation of retrieving desired information in theinformation storage medium 301. At this time, the CPU 419 determineswhether or not an instruction to display table of contents has beenissued from the operation unit 415. If a determination has beenperformed that the instruction has not been issued, the determination instep S502 is repeated. If determination has been performed that theinstruction has been issued, the operation proceeds to step S503. Instep S503 information about the table of contents is reproduced from theinformation storage medium 301 set to the information medium readingunit 417 of the user terminal 400 in accordance with the operation ofthe operation unit 415 performed by the user. The display circuit 413produces a display signal based on the reproduced information about thetable of contents, the display signal being supplied to the displayapparatus 414 so that the information about the table of contents isdisplayed on the display screen. Note that information about the tableof contents s a portion of information recorded on the informationstorage medium 301, the contents of which can be perused.

In step S504 the CPU 419 determines whether or not the retrievaloperation has been performed by operating the operation unit 415 frominformation about the table of contents displayed on the display screenof the display apparatus 414. If a determination has been performed thatthe operation has not been performed, the determination in step S504 isrepeated. If a determination has been performed that the operation hasbeen performed, the operation proceeds to step S505. In step S505 thecontents, which are being retrieved, are displayed. In step S506 adetermination is performed whether or not an instruction to take outinformation has been issued with respect to any one of the contentsdisplayed as the contents which are being retrieved from the userthrough the operation unit 415. If a determination has been performed instep S506 that the instruction to take out the information has notissued, the operation returns to step S505. If a determination has beenperformed that the instruction has been issued, the operation proceedsto step S507. In step S507 ID information of the instructed informationis read. That is, in the retrieval operation to be performed in stepsS504 to S507, if the user has detected a desired information, the useroperates the operation unit 415 so that the instruction to take out thecontents from the information storage medium 301 is issued. If theforegoing instruction has been supplied, the ID information of theinstructed information is read from the corresponding informationstorage medium 301.

In step S508 the information medium ID is similarly read from theinformation storage medium 301, and then the operation proceeds to stepS509.

In step S509 the CPU 419 performs an operation of calling theinformation provider. That is, the telephone number of the informationprovider, which has been previously stored, is read from the informationstorage apparatus 412 and the telephone number is set to thecommunication line interface portion 421. At this time, thecommunication line interface portion 421 performs a calling operationwith respect to the information providing apparatus 200 of theinformation provider to connect the lines in step S510.

In step S511 the CPU 419 prepares information to be supplied to theinformation providing apparatus 200. Then, the operation proceeds tostep S512. Information to be supplied to the information providingapparatus 200 is information medium ID, information ID, user ID, andinformation medium reading apparatus ID. In step S512 the CPU 419encodes the information medium ID and information medium readingapparatus ID by using the user ID and password.

In step S513 encoded information is supplied to the informationproviding apparatus 200 of the information provider through thecommunication line interface portion 21. In step S514 transmission fromthe information providing apparatus 200 is waited for.

The process to be performed by the information provider will now bedescribed. As described in portion B of FIG. 9, when a call is performedfrom the user terminal 400, the information providing apparatus 200specifies information required for the user in accordance with themedium ID and the information ID to encode decoding key information byusing the reading apparatus ID, the user ID, and the password so as totransmit the encoded decoding key information to the user terminal 400.It is possible to use the telephone number to encode decoding keyinformation.

The foregoing process will now be described with reference to FIG. 11.In step S530 the CPU 7 determines whether or not a transmission (a call)has been performed from the user terminal 400. If a determination hasbeen performed that no transmission has been performed, a waiting stateis realized so that the determination in step S530 is repeated. If adetermination has been performed in step S530 that the transmission hasbeen performed, the operation proceeds to step S531. In step S531 theCPU 207, through the communication line interface portion 206 and theconverter 204, reads encoded information supplied from the user terminal400 through the communication line.

In step S532 the CPU 207 reads the password included in the accountinginformation of the user stored in the information storage apparatus 202,reading being performed in accordance with the received user ID. Then,the CPU 207 combines the password with the user ID so as to decode thereceived information, which has been encoded. In step S533 theinformation medium ID and the information ID read as a result ofdecoding in step S532 are used to obtain decoding key information of thesubject information from information medium control information storedin the information storage apparatus 201.

In step S534 the obtained decoding key information is, together with theuser ID, the password and the reading apparatus ID, supplied to theencoding circuit 203 so as to be subjected to an encoding process. Instep S535 the encoded information is supplied to the user terminal 400through the converter 204 and the communication line interface portion206. That is, as shown in portion C of FIG. 9, information to betransmitted from the information providing apparatus 200 to the userterminal 400 is encoded decoding key information.

The user terminal 400, which has received the encoded decoding keyinformation from the information providing apparatus 200, performs aprocess shown in FIG. 12. That is, the user terminal 400, which hasreceived the encoded decoding key information, uses the specific numberthat is, the user ID, the password and the reading apparatus ID, todecode the encoded decoding key information as shown in portion D ofFIG. 9, and then uses the decoded decoding key information to decodeencoded information on the information storage medium 301.

As shown in FIG. 12, the user terminal 400, in a state wheretransmission from the information providing apparatus 200 is waited forin step S514, determines whether or not transmission has been performedfrom the information providing apparatus 200 in step S515. If thetransmission has not been performed, the foregoing determination isrepeated. If the transmission has been performed, the process in stepS516 is performed.

In step S516 the CPU 419 transmits the encoded decoding key informationreceived through the communication line interface portion 421 to thedecoding circuit 416.

The decoding circuit 416, in step S517, receives from the ROM 418 theuser ID, the password and the reading apparatus ID, which is thespecific number of the information medium reading unit 417, and uses thesupplied information to decode the received decoding key information.

In step S518 the CPU 419 uses the decoding key information, which hasbeen decoded by the decoding circuit 416, to cause required and encodedinformation recorded on the information storage medium 301 to transmitthe information to the decoding circuit 416. The decoding circuit 416decodes the required and encoded information by using the decoding keyinformation to obtain information in the form of a plain sentence thatcan be used by the user.

In step S519 the information in the form of the plain sentence issupplied to the display circuit 413. A display signal of the informationin the form of the plain sentence produced in the display circuit 413 issupplied to the display apparatus 414. As a result, information in theform of the plain sentence, which can be read by the user, is displayedon the display screen of the display apparatus 414.

The foregoing description has been performed about a process to beperformed until the information in the form of the plain sentence isdisplayed on the display screen of the display apparatus 414. In a casewhere the information in the form of the plain sentence is copied on theinformation storage apparatus 412, the information in the form of theplain sentence is not as it is copied on the information storageapparatus 412. As an alternative to this, the CPU 419 uses theinformation medium reading apparatus ID and the user ID to encode theinformation in the form of the plain sentence so as to be stored andrecorded. When information stored in the information storage apparatus412 is read, the encoded information is supplied from the informationstorage apparatus 412 to the decoding circuit 416 so that information isdecoded in accordance with the information medium reading apparatus IDand the user ID.

Although this embodiment has been described which includes the ISDN lineserving as the information transmission means for establishing theconnection between the information providing apparatus 200 of theinformation provider and the user terminal 400, the structure of thepresent invention can, of course, be realized in a case where a usualanalog telephone line, a CATV (Cable Television) line, a wirelesscommunication line or a LAN (Local Area Network) is used. Moreover, thepresent invention can be applied to a system in which information issupplied and received by mail or the express delivery.

Although the user ID and the password are used as the personalidentification information of a user, the personal identificationinformation of a user may be the machine number of the user terminal400, the telephone number of the user, a password determined by the useror the physical address of the network interface. In the case where themachine number of the user terminal 400 is used as the personalidentification information, a structure may be constituted such thatmachine number information is directly supplied to the decoding circuit416.

As described above, with the information providing system according tothe present invention, in a case where a system has been constitutedsuch that a medium in which a large quantity of information has beenrecorded on an information record medium is distributed to users anddecoding key information for decoding code of desired information istransmitted through a communication line or a network, decoding keyinformation encoded with a specific number (ID) is transmitted from theinformation provider to the reading apparatus. Therefore, even if thedecoding key information is intercepted from the line or the network,the interceptor cannot obtain correct decoding key information.Therefore, the security performance can be improved.

The structure such that ID information, such as the ID of an informationreading apparatus, specific to a user is encoded and transmitted to theinformation providing apparatus, the information providing apparatusencodes the decoding key information in accordance with the suppliedencoded ID information followed by transmitting the encoded decoding keyinformation to the user's terminal further improves the security.

When information is copied from an information medium reading apparatuson another information storage apparatus, information is always encodedby using the ID of the reading apparatus and then the information iswritten. Therefore, unlawful copying can be prevented. When the ID ofthe reading apparatus is formed into a structure which cannot be handledor read from the user, the security performance can further be improved.That is, in the case where information read from the information storagemedium is copied on the user terminal side, information, the code ofwhich has been temporarily decoded, can be copied as it is. In thestructure according to the embodiment of the present invention, decodedinformation is again encoded with a plurality of specific informationitems of ID information of the information reading apparatus so that thesecurity performance is further improved.

As disclosed in the electronic data protective method filed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,392,351, there is available a structure in which encodedelectronic data is, together with a specific medium number of themedium, previously written on an information medium; the permission sidegenerates a specific medium key in accordance with the specific mediumnumber; the decoding key for encoded electronic data is encoded by usingthe specific medium key; encoded data is, as permission information,written on the medium; the user side generates specific medium key inaccordance with the specific medium number read from the medium;permission information read from the medium is decoded by the foregoingspecific medium key to generate the original key for decoding electronicdata; and encoded electronic data read from the medium is decoded by thekey for decoding electronic data so as to generate plain sentenceelectronic data. However, the foregoing technique having the structuresuch that the key for decoding electronic data is generated on conditionof specific ID (for example, serial numbers specific to the mediums) foreach information medium has a difficulty in recording specific IDinformation for each of mediums, for example, CD-ROMs, which aremass-produced. On the other hand, the information providing systemaccording to the present invention does not require the medium ID forthe information storage medium to be a specific ID for each medium.Since information recorded on the medium can be made to be informationsubjected to the same encoding process for the mediums, large-quantitycopying is enabled. Therefore, the information providing systemaccording to the present invention can be adapted to a medium, such asthe CD-ROM. The foregoing electronic data protective method has thestructure such that the permission side encodes the key for decodingelectronic data; the encoded key for decoding electronic data is writtenon the medium as permission information; and then use by the user ispermitted. Therefore, the foregoing electronic data protective method isnot suitable to the mediums, such as CD-ROMs, which are mass-produced.On the other hand, the present invention has the structure such thatdecoding key information is transmitted such that the ID specific forthe user, such as the information reading apparatus ID, is transmittedto the information provision side through a communication line; and theinformation provision side encodes the decoding key information inaccordance with the supplied ID and returns the encoded decoding keyinformation. Therefore, the present invention can effectively be adaptedto mediums which are mass-produced. Because of the foregoing facts, thepresent invention enables the necessity of recording specificinformation when the information record mediums are manufactured to beeliminated. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and,therefore, low-cost information record mediums can be provided.

Since the present invention has the structure such that identificationinformation specific for the data recording apparatus is recorded on therecord medium, confirmation of identification information enables theprocess hysteresis of the record medium to be detected. Thus, easycopying can be prevented. If identification information does not exist,reproduction of data from the record medium is interrupted. Thus,copying of data from the record medium can be prevented.

In the present invention, an information medium having informationencoded on an information collection side is distributed from aninformation providing side; the information providing side and theinformation collection side are connected to each other throughinformation transmission means; information is transmitted and receivedbetween the information providing side and the information collectionside through the information transmission means; the informationproviding side uses at least one specific information of the informationcollection side to encode key information required to decode encodedinformation of the information medium; the information collection sideuses encoded key information transmitted from the information providingside to decode the key information; and the information collection sideuses encoded information read from the information medium to decode theencoded information by using the decoded key information. Thus,transmission security of key information from the information providingside to the information collection side can be improved. Moreover, theinformation collection side can reliably be performed.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form can be changed in the details ofconstruction and in the combination and arrangement of parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

1. An information providing method comprising: transmitting andreceiving information to and from an information collecting side throughinformation transmitting means; and encoding key information at aninformation providing side by responding to encoded user informationtransmitted from said information collecting side and generated by usinga user ID and a user password to encode a medium reading apparatus ID,the received encoded user information being used with unique userinformation stored at said information providing side to obtain uniquekey information and to encode said key information by using said userID, user password and medium reading apparatus ID to produce encoded keyinformation, wherein said key information is required to decode encodedinformation recorded on a non-unique information medium; wherein theencoded key information is electronically transmitted from saidinformation providing side to receiving means located at the informationcollecting side for decoding.